Which States Are Seeing Highest Migration From Major US Cities? Idaho, Mountain West States Top List

Which States Are People Moving To? Led By Idaho, Mountain West States Outpace The Rest In Newcomers Per Capita

Our research team completed a recent analysis of the latest migration trends. While some regions are benefiting from the traditional flock of migrants bolstering their economies and broadening their tax bases, others are seeing a net loss of residents. So, which states are trending relocation destinations?

Idaho, in fact, tops the list with the highest net migration per capita, recording nearly 25 newcomers for every 1,000 residents. This is a staggering five times more newcomers per capita than Texas, another state experiencing a significant influx. Other states that proved particularly attractive in 2021 include Vermont, Montana, South Carolina, Nevada and Arizona. On the flip side, New York, Illinois and California continue to lose residents.

The work-from-home trend is also influencing migration patterns in certain states. Alongside D.C., Massachusetts, Maryland and Colorado have seen the largest proportions of telecommuters among new arrivals. Over 27% of people moving to D.C. are working from home. Remote workers constitute 20% of newcomers in Massachusetts and Maryland, while in Colorado, 18% of new arrivals are working from home.

When asked about the main migration drivers that keep sending people across state lines, Doug Ressler, business intelligence manager at our sister division Yardi Matrix, replied: “For those spending more time at home, amenities such as a dedicated home office and a larger yard are increasingly desirable, which oftentimes means relocating farther away from busy urban hotspots. This is one of the main drivers of the massive flow to less densely populated locations like Idaho and Maine. […] But on the other hand, there are the younger millennials and the Gen Zers who still value having an active social life, even when that means compromising on living space. Developers are delivering apartments with a single bedroom and a den, or which have a small footprint but come with more expansive common areas. Working-from-anywhere in this case translates into urban-to-urban moving routes, often from former epicenters like San Francisco and San Jose to places that are still brimming with opportunities at a slightly lower cost of living, like Austin, Texas.” he added.

Dive into all the data in our full report: https://www.storagecafe.com/blog/top-states-people-are-moving-to/

• The United States’ Mountain West region emerges as a magnet for Americans, with four of the top ten states for net migration located here.
• Idaho has been experiencing the highest net migration rate in the United States. For every 1,000 people residing in Idaho, approximately 25 new people moved there in 2021 – that’s five times more newcomers than Texas welcomed in the same year.
• Southern states, spearheaded by South Carolina and Tennessee, maintain their allure as well, fueled by affordable real estate markets and thriving economies.
• The hubs of recent population exodus, Alaska, New York, Illinois and California, have each experienced double-digit negative net migration.

Migration patterns have shifted significantly in recent years, with Americans losing some of their appetite for moving. However, while migration rates are down overall, state-to-state migration has taken off. In fact, both 2021 and 2022 witnessed increased interstate moving activity compared to the rest of the decade. Roughly 7.9 million people jumped on the bandwagon to move to another state in 2021, and 2022 set a record with 8.2 million interstate movers.

While this trend aligns with historical patterns favoring the Sunbelt region in migration preferences, it is also significantly influenced by the growing enthusiasm for remote work and an increased demand for more space in the post-pandemic era. US Census data in fact shows a trend towards buying larger homes, particularly in the Southern states where homes sold recently had more square footage compared to those sold in previous years. The average floor area of single family homes sold there increased by 60 square feet between 2019 and 2022 and now sits at 2,608 sq. ft. This compares to a nationwide increase of 41 sq. ft. over the same period, with homes sold in 2022 reaching an average size of 2,559 square feet.

Overall, the quest for more space combined with a range of economic factors is driving a notable surge in popularity among less-populated states.

So, which states are people moving to? And what are the biggest draws that get them on the road? To see which states are experiencing the most significant impact from the recent relocation trends, we analyzed and ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on the number of net newcomers — those arriving minus those leaving — per 1,000 residents. State-level data comes from the  2021 American Community Survey.

Furthermore, we examined several key indicators to uncover the underlying factors driving these recent migration patterns, including demographic data, incomes and unemployment, home prices and sizes in both the state of origin and the destination, as well as housing inventory, among others. Notably, Western and Southern states are competing vigorously to establish themselves as net migration hotspots, while New England is emerging as a strong contender in the relocation race.

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Banner Image: Moving. Image Credit - Robinson Greig

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